It’s not quite March yet, but at this point of a particularly brutal one, it’s hard not to get antsy for The End of Winter….impatience fueled by a subtle shift of light. There’s light in the sky in the early morning when our groggy household starts the day, and still lingering now at dusk, 5:45 pm as I write this. We are moving closer to the sun!

It was snowing again this morning, but I didn’t want to venture out for provisions. So I dug into the produce drawer of the refrigerator, hungry for the vitamins in fresh leaves and crisp vegetables. I felt like Captain Cook scrounging around in the galley for a wedge of lime to suck on. [Read more…]

Chickpeas, garbanzos, ceci — by whatever name you choose, I love them.

Last week, as I was lying face down on a mat focusing on my breath and the sorry state of my pedicure, I misheard my yoga teacher ask that we take a moment to look into our inner beans.

And so I found myself asking this eternal question, one that can only be answered after a sweaty yoga class and a few minutes of peaceful contemplation – what is my inner bean?

I emerged from that brief meditation certain that my inner bean was a cannellini; earthy, velvety soft and creamy at the core. A bowl of warm cannellini beans drizzled with delicious green olive oil, strewn with tiny slivers of chopped fresh rosemary and some Parmigiano grated over is one of the most comforting foods I can think of.

However, I came to the conclusion that if I am truly a cannellini being at the core, then the outer being must be all chickpea. I eat them almost every day!

I’d gotten into the habit of using canned chickpeas after many frustrated hours trying to cook dried ones that more often than not were old and stale. But now that diet trends veer toward the Gluten Free Vegan Cave Dweller, chickpeas are a very popular protein choice for many people, which translates into faster turnover and fresher dried beans.

I fell for a method of cooking garbanzos I found in Suzanne Goin’s AOC Cookbook , which is genius because the cooking water becomes a fabulous light broth – or brodo – that is so tasty I keep the chickpeas in it and build a soup meal along with some smoky, slightly spicy chorizo and dark greens.

I find the combination of sharp cheeses with chile peppers hard to resist. Coach Farms was kind to send me a sample of their Grating Stick, an aged goat cheese that my Microplane turned into savory dust on my chickpeas – yum. But lacking that, a good sharp and salty sheep’s milk Pecorino or even feta would be perfect substitutes.

Drain the soaked chickpeas and put into a 3 or 4 quart heavy saucepan along with the garlic, shallot, chiles, bay leaf and paprika. Pour over enough water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and loosely cover. Cook an hour or so, then add 2 teaspoons salt. Continue cooking until chickpeas are tender - 30 minutes or more depending on the age of the chickpeas. Remove the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.

Just before serving, warm the chickpeas and broth over low heat. Stir the pasta, chorizo, roasted red pepper and greens into the pot and taste for seasoning, adding a little more salt if needed.

The last farmer’s market of the year where I am in New Jersey was last week. I’m still wrapping my head around that fact…can’t we push the “Pause”button so that I can resume my summer?

No? Well, okay. I hereby accept there was a major interruption in my usual flow of life. Moving on!

While living in the moment, I scooped up this gorgeous bunch of heirloom carrots in rainbow colors before the market closed.

I was going to throw them in a roasting pan – my usual modus operandi – but changed my mind when I saw the jeweled-colored ribbons that coiled on my cutting board as I started to peel the carrots, and decided to make a salad instead.

Tangerine juice is super-sweet, especially so after reducing to a light syrup. It makes a pure, simple dressing when paired with olive oil and plays so nicely with carrots.

I can see this salad taking up residence on my table for the next few months; starting with Thanksgiving and all through the holiday season.

Multicolored carrots look absolutely beautiful in this salad, but of course regular carrots will work just as well. The easiest way to get a good pile of ribbons is to choose those that are about 7" long and 1 1/2 " in diameter. Also, look for tangerines that are juicy. Seedless clementines, which are perfect for eating out of hand, will not yield enough juice for the dressing.

Ingredients

¾ teaspoon coriander seed

3 juicy tangerines, such as Murcott or Satsuma variety

1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot

1 teaspoon honey

Kosher salt

4 medium carrots (about 4 ounces each); scrubbed

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fresh pomegranate seeds

Instructions

Put the coriander seeds in a small (5 - 8-inches) skillet set over medium heat. Toast about 5 minutes - just until the seeds become fragrant; remove from the pan.

Halve 2 of the tangerines and squeeze the juice into the same skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce to 2 tablespoons.

Coarsely crush the coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle or by using the flat side of a large chef’s knife on a cutting board. Combine the coriander with the reduced tangerine juice, shallot, honey and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl.

Peel the remaining tangerine and divide into segments; add to the juice mixture.

If your carrots are especially hairy give them a quick surface peel with a swivel peeler and discard. Shave the carrots into ribbons, turning to include all sides (you’ll be left with a slender core, which is the cook’s treat).

Pile the carrot ribbons into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add a good pinch of salt and gently massage with your hands to coat. Pour the tangerine mixture over and toss again.